The armistice of the often overlooked Korean War, from 1950-53, celebrates its 65th anniversary this year.

In fact, the ceremony to mark “the third bloodiest conflict in Canada’s military history,” according to Veteran Affairs, was already held back in the summer at Brampton’s Wall of Remembrance on the armistice signing date of July 27.

There was also a poster unveiling by Canadian Korean War Veteran and artist Ted Zuber (who passed away on Oct. 30) in Ottawa in April of his painting Freeze.

Still, every Nov. 10, the Korean Veterans Association hold an evening event in Ottawa in conjunction with ceremonies in Busan, South Korea, where it is the next day, Nov. 11.

“The Korean War, over the years, has come to be a little overshadowed because there was about 26,000 Canadians — that’s a whole lot of men and women who went to serve in the Korean War,” said Veteran Affairs Education Officer Alan Banman, adding 516 of them died with some buried in South Korea.

Alan Banman, education officer.SUPPLIED

“They went over to the other side of the world. It was part of the United Nations, they called it a police action, but it a war by all definitions of the word. We had 26,000 Canadians serve on land, at sea and in the air during this conflict. We all know with recent news about North and South Korea still have a lot of tensions and such but on July 27, 1953, there was an armistice signed and it stopped the everyday shooting and bombing.”

With renewed interest in that part of the world this year after the Winter Olympics in South Korea and President Trump meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, Banman says the importance of the war ending has never been more front and centre.

“At the beginning of the Korean War, North Korea had invaded the South and they had pushed almost all the way to the very southern edge of the peninsula,” said Banman.

“So whenever the United Nations forces intervened, they did a lot because they restored peace and freedom to South Korea, so it was a very important war and an important outcome to the people of South Korea because they were able to develop into the free and democratic and wealthy society they have now.”

South Korean pop culture rules these days through boy bands like BTS and movies and TV through respected directors like Park Chan-Wook while Korean BBQ joints are everywhere.

“Some of the Korean War veterans have remarked whenever they go back as part of overseas events to mark the war, the place they saw in 1950 to 1953, it was beyond a third-world country,” said Banman.

“It was a third world country that was ripped apart by a bloody and terrible war that killed so many people. When they go back they see the skyscrapers and the children and people living in peace you can imagine the feelings of gratitude they get of knowing what they did made a difference.”